I'm working on a film project and the director likes to have meetings over a meal and drinks. His favorite spot is the truly awful BBQ on Greenwhich. He admits that the food is bad, but always wants to go because they have $3.50 margaritas. Please save me from another sickening meal there and suggest an alternative with decent food and cheap cheap cheap drinks. Must be able to sit for a good while. If it's around Astor and Lafayette that would be even better. Thanks!

What time are your meetings normally? Would meal and drinks be for lunch, afternoon, or dinner? When you say sit for a good while, is that 1 hour, 2 hours, or 3+ hours? There are a few Japanese izakayas on St. Marks with relatively cheap drinks, but most don't open until around 5/6pm. And while most won't be too happy with you lingering too long (just make sure to keep ordering food/drinks), I think Kenka could work - a Japanese tapas/drinking house with $1.50 Kirin drafts. The food at Taisho/O Taisho (other izakayas on the same block) is much better, but Kenka has cheaper drinks and would be the least likely to kick you out after sitting for multiple hours, since the waiters themselves are so slow on service they might not even notice unless there's a long line outside. Also, a meal at an izakaya is made for some lingering. Just go early and avoid Thursday-Saturday nights when it gets super crowded. The director still gets his bbq (Japanese style) and you get to munch on negitoro. Highly recommend for you to do a test run at Taisho first to see if that could work for your meetings, because the food is better, and the drinks aren't that expensive either (not $1.50 cheap, but cheap enough for NYC).

Our meetings frequently begin anywhere from 8pm to 9 or 10. We need to be able to sit for up to two hours. I'll check out these Japanese suggestions, but something tells me they may be a bit exotic for a mixed group of people, some of whom may not be very adventurous. It's always hard when you're dealing with a variety of people- makes you realize that some people are only comfortable with what is familiar, and that can mean crap is more appreciated than quality. So sad! Thanks for the suggestions!

I suppose someone from middle America might find izakayas to be exotic, but I'd say most people in the NY film industry would be cool with it. (Sorry, gross generalization, but I have friends in the film industry who go there all the time for the cheap drinks and great food). Plus there's always chicken teriyaki on these menus for the unadventurous. Let us know what you think after you try Taisho.